Bower .—Studies in the Phytogeny of the Filicales . VII. 27 
Lonchitis. 
The third genus of Prantl’s Lonchitidinae is Lonchitis , of which 
L . aurita , L., has been available from Jamaica. This Fern, which is ranked 
with Pteris pubescens, Willd., by Christ, 1 serves as an example of the strong 
erect habit, the glandular pubescence of the simple hairs, the reticulate 
venation, and the position of the sori in the sinuses of the leaf-margin, which 
are characteristic of the genus. The leaves are arranged spirally on the 
massive upright stock. The adult stem shows a simple solenostele, from 
which each leaf-trace comes off as two distinct straps of vascular tissue, 
separate from one another from the first: an arrangement which finds 
its parallel in many other Ferns, and is seen in P ter is cretica. 
The sorus has a rather thick flap of the upper, adaxial indusium, 
covering the receptacle, on which are sporangia of mixed ages, interspersed 
with hairs. In the position of the lower, abaxial indusium, which does 
not exist here as a continuous flap, there appear with some constancy about 
two ranks of hairs. This suggests a condition where the inner indusium 
has been resolved into independent cell-rows; though this would not 
account for the hairs that are interspersed among the sporangia, like those of 
Paesia viscosa (Fig. 22, B), where both indusia are present. These facts 
are noted in relation to the theory of Mettenius, to be discussed later. 2 
Lonchitis hirsuta , L., was described and figured by Sir W. Hooker as 
Pteris {Eupteris) laciniata , Willd. 3 It has a particular interest as illus¬ 
trating the relation of the indusiate to the non-indusiate Pterids. Hooker 
states that 4 it has the aspect of Lonchitis , and is indeed the Lonchitis 
hirsuta of Linnaeus, and of Schkuhr and Willdenow in part \ But c it 
exhibits the fructification of a Pteris ‘ The affinity of this among the 
species of Pteris is very doubtful.’ And in the ‘ Synopsis Filicum ’ he 
remarks (p. 160) : ‘Though in technical character a Pteris , this is far more 
like the two species of Lonchitis in habit.’ 
Anatomical material collected in Jamaica was handed over to Gwynne- 
Vaughan, but it was returned to me with some preparations made from it 
after his death. He had found in the youngest plants a protostele with very 
parenchymatous xylem, which led upwards to a Lindsaya-condition , and 
later to a solenostele. In the mature stem there is a simple and very large 
solenostele, over an inch in diameter, with occasional interruptions, appa¬ 
rently of the nature of perforations. In many sections the ring may be com¬ 
plete. The leaf-trace comes off as two distinct straps, separate from one 
another before detachment from the stele; thus corresponding to that 
of L . aurita , L. 
The plant is very hairy, and there are numerous narrow scales on the 
stock and petiole, though most of the dermal appendages are hairs. The 
1 Farnkrauter, p. 174 . 2 Farngattungen, iii, p. 7. 
3 Sp. Fil., ii, p. 176, Tab. CXXXII. 
